Six members of the Cazenovia girls indoor track team put the finishing touches on a super season of accomplishments by their team at the Feb. 24 state qualifier. While none of the ladies advanced to the state title meet, they each finished in the top 12 competitors in their events among girls from schools of all classes across Section III.
Clara Rowles led the way for the Lakers, finishing fourth in the 1,500-meter run in 4:56.02, a personal indoor best for her, and just one place from a trip to the New York State Championship. Her time was the second fastest indoor time ever recorded for a Cazenovia runner in the event.
Senior Maria Stalder also recorded a personal best effort in the 600, racing to 12th place in 1:44.80 to wrap up an amazing inaugural season in the sport. Kirsten Underwood rounded out the Cazenovia effort on the track, finishing 12th in the 55 dash to complete an outstanding first season for the team.
Freshman Maddie Gavitt led the Laker effort in the field events, reaching 15-1.5 to capture eighth in the long jump. Sophomore Katie Robbins cleared 8-0 to claim ninth in the pole vault while senior Tori Fischer leaped 4-8 to achieve 11th in the high jump in her final indoor track competition. She is an alternate in the weight throw event which was not contested on Feb. 24 due to lack of a throwing cage at OCC. Her school record distance of 30-2 has her ranked fourth in the section.
The girls’ efforts capped an outstanding season of competition for their squad during which the Lady Lakers earned their sixth consecutive OHSL and Section III titles and seventh straight Mohawk Valley Indoor Track Association championship.
December 2015 saw the end of the team’s five year, 39 contest winning streak for multi-school meets, as they finished second and third in their opening two contests. Nonetheless, the team rallied to win its last five meets to bring their overall “win-loss equivalent” to 98-3 for the season. This season’s success brought their six-year total to 44 first place finishes in 46 attempts with a win-loss total of 557-3.
The Lakers also earned numerous individual awards during the season, highlighted by 18 all-league selections including six first team and 12 second team honorees. The team earned individual sectional championships in the 3,000 (Meggie Hart) and 4×800 relay (Hart, Rowles, Stalder and Megan Henderson) and broke school records in the 3,000 (Hart) and weight throw (Fischer). Thirty-three members of the team earned NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete honors with a GPA of over 90 percent during the season with a top-12 average of 95.41 percent for the statewide contest.
The team honored four individuals among its many outstanding contributors at the end-of-season banquet. Tori Fischer earned the squad’s “Versatility Award” for her ability to excel in multiple events to help the team. Meggie Hart earned the “Most Valuable Runner” Award for her outstanding performances in the 3000, 1500 and 4×800 while fellow distance runner Clara Rowles earned the “Impact Award” for success in multiple events ranging from 600 to 3,000 meters which boosted the team at critical junctures this season. Maddy Gavitt earned “Rookie of the Year” honors for her exceptional success in the long jump, triple jump, pole vault and high jump as a first-year athlete.
The Lakers also recognized each of its nine seniors for their moral and athletic contributions. Despite their pending graduation, the return of 40 underclasswomen to next year’s squad points to a bright future for Cazenovia girls indoor track.
